2006

2006

The first page of the sports section of the Yearbook. Whether you play sports or not, you can’t help but acknowledge how important sports are here at Santa Cruz High. Almost half of the students are involved in some sport or other ranging from cross country to wrestling to baseball to swimming. We are a school that emphasizes the “scholar athlete.” Our girls golf, water polo, volleyball and cross country teams are recognized, by CCS as having the highest collective GPA’s in the section of 142 schools. This Fall the boys and girls water polo teams advance to the CCS playoffs, plus the girls had a huge victory over arch rival Soquel. The girls cross country team qualified for CCS and were up against a couple of teams that were tops in the state. The wrestling team had a strong season as a full squad was on hand with three times more wrestlers, after last seasons squad which didn’t have enough members to fill the out the weight classifications. Football and basketball was a rebuilding year. But no one can deny that our sports programs continue to thrive, keeping Cardinal fans happy and proud.

Yearbook. As far as the wins and losses were concerned it wasn’t the best, but the team proved to have incredible amount of determination out on the field. In practice games they faced tough opponents, Aragon, Pacific Grove, Palma and Carmel, all of which went into the CCS playoffs. The game at Carmel was the most memorable game in intensity. SC lost in the last seven seconds by a Padre 47 yard field goal, resulting in a 20-23 score. In the following weeks, the Cards exhibited over and over their strong spirit, drive and brotherhood. Even months before the season started, they had already bonded, through daily practices, camps and team dinners. As a final tribute, this years MVP award was awarded by the coaches to “The Team.”

JV FOOTBALL

Season record 5-4-1.
Yearbook. The team was made up by a large amount of freshmen as well as some experienced sophomores, who led their team to an outstanding season finish. Their team chemistry helped them win most of their games, not the least of which was an unforgettable game against Harbor. This game was full of excitement and great skills. All the players agreed that this game was their best, in which Harbor was shut out. The JV team went through the same training and bonding as the varsity.

CROSS COUNTRY

Yearbook. Coach Victor Dubin emphasizes to the runners to meet and surpass their own personal goals. The team is small, but they are loudest and most enthusiastic team in the state. Even though running isn’t the main reason many of the team do the sport, we have success too. With the girls team qualifying and Kelsey Johnson qualifying individually for CCS, plus Michael Landry qualifying for state. Coach Dubin after every race, gave a bike hat to the person he thought had the best race or showed the most improvement. We are a team that has potlucks in Ben Rangell’s back yard where we dance, play ping-pong and sit around a fire playing guitar

Coach Brock
Boys: Sophomore Michael Landry finished second in league and first at CCS Division IV, which qualified him for State, but an injury didn’t allow him to run at State.
Brannan Lynch was seventh at league, fourth at CCS and 82nd at State

Yearbook. The team was extremely small in numbers this year. The players were motivated and determination to play well win of lose. The team lost to only two teams, Soquel and Salinas. Both loses to league champion Soquel were by one point. During the off season, most players swim for the swim team or jogging or do other physical activities to stay in condition for the next water polo season.

GIRLS VARSITY WATER POLO

Yearbook. The girls water polo team is a great group of smart, friendly girls. “Water polo is just what I do for fun,” said Rosie Stewart, a starting sophomore, who helped lead the team to its first victory since 1997over Soquel in the league finals. The team not only won league in water polo, but was honored for the second year in a row by CCS for the top GPA average of all girls water polo teams in the section with a 3.84 average. Senior Hannah Shull earned the scholar athlete award and was first team ALL SCCAL. Goalie Claire Putnam-Pite was sophomore water polo player of the year and first team ALL SCCAL. Junior Lianna Kelly also was first team ALL SCCAL. The team won a trophy for the first time, by taking second place at a tournament in San Jose. They also traveled overnight to play in the Clovis tournament and the girls bonded with one another.

GIRLS JV WATER POLO

Yearbook. The girls took second place in league. The girls were extremely close this year. They worked hard to increase their speed in the water and shooting with all their strength. Julia Esposito was the goalie, Terra Weeks played an awesome center and Lily Perry played a key part of the defense.

Yearbook. With seven juniors and five seniors, the team had a fun and successful season. The majority of the girls were returning from last year and had experience playing together, showed on and off the court. During the preseason the team enjoyed team building activities and spent a day at a ropes course. A trainer came weekly to work with the girls on their agility, muscle strength and cardio. The team was well rounded with senior Lindsay Wall’s killer left hand hit and senior Katie Merrill’s outside hit which often took teams by surprise. Senior Shantee Kingsland and junior Carly Johnson made the job of setters senior Rachele Wyant and junior Cole Conroy a lot easier. “We weren’t having to run to the ball as much as last year, because they were actually passing to us,” said Wyant. Junior middles Alexis Tashima and Fern Lighfoot helped the team by blocking ball after ball and running fast sets which help set the pace of the intense game. “I just go up to hit and count on the setters to place the ball in my hands,” said Tashima. Everyone put forward a good effort each game, which is one reason they ended the 12-4 for third place. Other team members were Stephanie Dickey, Anna Eklof, Alyssa Lantry and Tara Kelly. Head coach Reed Duffus and assistant Donna Beronia.

Sentinel Aug. 27. At the Santa Cruz Invitational, SC took third place in the first day long tournament of the Fall season.

ALL SCCAL

JV GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Yearbook. The team became close early in the season and they were able to develop their skills and work together as a team to win first place in the league. They started the season strong and ended even stronger. There were some rough times in the middle of the season, when they lost three games in a row. It took a lot of work to get through it and start playing like a team again. The biggest opponent was Aptos, in the final game, SC beat Aptos in three games to win first place in league. Coaches Mindi and Gracie made them work hard every day and every girl wanted to quit at some point in the season. But they stuck together and helped each other get through it. By the end of the season they realized they earned it. Their hard work and dedication paid off and every girl walked away a better person as well as a better player. This team can honestly say WE’RE #1!!

FRESHMAN GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Record 1-12.
Yearbook. At the start of the season the girls didn’t know each other well, so it was hard for them to bond on the court, when they could not even bond as friends. Their skills improved and they got closer as the season progressed.

Team members were Emma Cunniff, Brittany Manley, Krista Dickey, Kylie Woodhead and Daisy Brightman were the only girls mentioned.

GIRLS GOLF SCCAL CHAMPIONS UNDEFEATED 12-0

Yearbook. The girls were not only successful on the golf course, but in the classroom as well, as they had the highest GPA of any girls golf team in the CCS. Three outstanding coaches are the heart of the team. Head coach Dennis Mullen, Terry Ow and Pete Pappas each help with different aspects of the game. Emma Hutchinson and Maxi Moss were key players on this winning team.

ALL SCCAL

Emma Hutchinson, Senior of the Year award. Josie Pappas received the Sophomore of the Year award. First team: Maxi Moss. Second team: Ashley Green and Skye Haney, Elyse Brokaw, honorable mention. Dennis Mullen, Coach of the Year.

Nov. 27. LoBue Paces Cards In Rout of Carmel. Defending SCCAL champions Cards open the season with a 60-33 win over Carmel. Senior forward Jesse LoBue led SC with 23 points, including three 3-pointers and Chris Sharp added 12. SC jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first quarter under the direction of first year coach Charles Burks.
Others Scoring: Sanders 7, Lynch 2, Jacobsen 4, Konopelski 4, Cronan 3, Pino 2, Boaz 1, Nordgaard 2.

Nov. 29. Sentinel boys basketball Report.
Outlook for this season: Even with all the well documented losses in athletes from last year, the Cards are still the class of the SCCAL. LoBue should be virtually un-guardable in league, he’s got the height of SCCAL centers, yet he’s a small forward, equally adept at taking the ball inside or hitting the outside shot. Coach Charles Burks is working on developing better team chemistry, has the team going out together once a week, to a senior’s destination of choice. Outing number one, courtesy of Sharp, dinner at Fresh Choice, followed by a night of Atomic Bowling at the Santa Cruz Bowl. “Everyone enjoys each other’s company,” Burks said..

Sentinel write up featuring Chris Sharp and Jesse LoBue
STILL STACKED, One Year Removed From Vaunted State Title, The Santa Cruz Cardinals Still Look Like The Team To Beat Locally. Chris Sharp and Jesse LoBue Aren’t Surprised.
The two of them had played against one another in Junior High after just moving to Santa Cruz. They enrolled at SC as freshmen and played on the junior varsity team under present coach Burks. Their sophomore season they moved up to the varsity and played first string most of the next three seasons. Now in their seniors season, It’s their time. Their team. “We are definitely leaders out there, How we practice has an effect on the rest of the team. If we try hard, the rest of the team will follow,” said LoBue.
For much of last season, Sharp and LoBue were in the background, like supporting actors over shadowed by the big name stars. In the playoffs, Sharp and LoBue made their mark. Sharp hit the game winning shot in the NorCal championship game, a 46-44 win. LoBue starred in the game as well, collecting a game high nine defensive rebounds, 12 total. After the game, Newell took his own gaze into the future. They’re going to be a solid team next year. I think whoever comes in to coach them will realize how blessed he is with that group of kids,” Newell said. Burks said, “Ever since day one they’ve stepped up. You don’t have to be noisy to get your point across. They lead by example.”
Sharp and LoBue are ready and excited for the opportunity to showcase what they can do. Sharp a 6-7, center with some outside touch, said that when he and LoBue run the pick and roll, “nine times out of ten times it will be successful. Either him with a jumper, or me under the hoop for a layup. You can really see the connection me and Jesse have on the court.” LoBue a 6-6 small forward, who can do it all and causes all sorts of match up problems on the court, has his sights set on SCCAL MVP honors. The award went to Russell last year and Swift the year before.
But more than anything else, the two want to do some more damage in the playoffs. They know that with all that’s different from last year, expectations for the Cards are lower. No one has predicted SC to make a return trip to state. What LoBue, Sharp and the rest of the team do expect is winning the SCCAL title again. They are well aware of the Cards recent history, the 24-0 record in league the past two years, the 14 league titles in the past 18 years.
We’re focused on winning league and getting a good seed in CCS. We’ll take it one game at a time from there,” said LoBue.

Nov. 30. Cardinals No Match For Visiting Mitty. Chris Sharp scored 19 points, but Cards fell to Mitty 72-50. (Mitty 6-9 center went on to play for UCLA and New Mexico.) Jesse LoBue scored 12 for SC now 1-1. Mitty led 23-9 at the end of the first quarter and 44-28 at halftime. Other scorers: Sanders 2, Lynch 3, Konopelski 8, Pino 3, Geise 2, Vaughan 1

Dec. 3. In the semifinals of the SLO tournament SC defeated San Marcos 55-46. SC went ahead 16-14 in the first quarter and 33-30 at halftime. San Marcos tied the score in the third period 41-41, but SC came back in the fourth outscoring San Marcos 14-5. Jesse LoBue led in scoring with 16 points and six rebounds, followed by Chris Sharp with 14 points and eight rebounds. Sharp, Kevin Konopleski and Sean Lynch each had four steals. Other scoring: Sanders 3, Lynch 11, Konopelski 2, Pino 6, Geise 3.

Dec. 4. Chris Sharp scored ten points and was named to the All Tournament team as SC fell to Santa Margarita 54-37, who also beat them last year in the finals. Jesse LoBue had 11 points. Other scorers: SC was outscored in each quarter. Sanders 0, Lynch 3, Konopelski 6, Pino 7, Geise 0, Vaughan 0. SC record 3-2.

Dec. 7 San Jose Mercury ranks the CCS top 15 basketball teams each week. On the this date SC at 3-2 was ranked tenth.

Dec. 8. Powerhouse Field Lined Up For 50TH Dads Club. Top Ranked Palo Alto, Kentucky Bound Jasper Enter The Civic. Salinas coach Joe Chappell, who played in the tournament in 1958 and has been bringing his team since 1971 said, “this is the strongest field I’ve seen. It’s always been a good tournament, but this year there are some really high powered teams.” Palo Alto is defending CCS Division II champion and is ranked number one in the San Jose Mercury. Salinas, St. Francis of Mt. View, Harbor and SLV were in the CCS playoffs last year. SC won the state title and Paso Robles has the best player in the tournament, who has a scholarship to Kentucky and is a consensus top-100 player in the country.

Dec. 9. Cardinals Hang On, Edge Salinas 71-63. SC built a big lead by playing at breakneck pace, attacking the rim on offense and swarming the ball on defense. But the Cards couldn’t summon that first period intensity after the first eight minutes. “We let up on defense in the second half, said Jesse LoBue, who scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. “We weren’t getting back on defense the second half. We tried to hold them off.”
SC 4-2, forced eight turnovers and led 25-6 the first quarter. The game gradually changed in the second quarter, when Salinas pulled within 15 points of SC making the score 40-25 at halftime. Salinas pulled within four with 7:14 left in the game, but LoBue and center Chris Sharp, with 21 points and Sean Lynch with a career high 21points had key buckets down the stretch to hold off Salinas. Other scorers: Konopelski 4, Pino 4, Vaughan 5.

Dec. 10. Cardinals Push It To Double OT, Then Falter. It took a huge game from one of the best high school players in the country to end SC’s five year run as champions of the Dads Club. It took double overtimes for his Paso Robles team to defeat SC 67-64. SC trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter. But SC went on a 10-2 run to get back into the game. SC trailed by two with 13 seconds left in regulation. Kevin Konopelski appeared to hit a deep 3- pointer to give SC a one point advantage with two seconds left. But the officials ruled SC had called a time out, negating Konopelski’s shot,
Unfazed, Jesse LoBue with 23 points responded by hitting a leaning jumper inside the 3-point line at the top of the key to send the game into overtime. SC rallied back from a five point deficit to begin the first overtime period and had a chance to win it late, but LoBue missed an almost identical shot to the one that forced overtime. Chris Sharp had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Other scorers: Lynch 5, Konopelski 5, Pino 10, Geise 3.

Dec. 11. Overtime Overload. Cardinals Play More Extra Time, Again Fall To A Quality Team. Again SC came in the fourth quarter, this time with a ten point deficit to force an extra period. But St. Francis of Mt. View’ scored ten points in overtime to win 74-64 in the third place game of the tourney. “We fought back hard. We didn’t give up, but we broke down in overtime. We couldn’t sustain it. Too many mental errors,” said Chris Sharp.
SC is now 4-4, but all four losses were to teams that are a combined 16-1. “We were underdogs in all for games, but we feel like we should have had at least a few upsets,” Sharp said. “We gave 150 percent effort against Paso Robles and we came out fired up tonight, but that kind of died down. We still feel like we should have won,” said Sharp.
Still with its back to the wall for the second straight night, SC responded with a ferocious fourth quarter rally. SC went on a 18-5 run to start the fourth and took a three point lead, capped by a steal and an open court layup by Jake Pino that sent the crowd into a frenzy. For the second straight night, Jesse LoBue, 22 points and 11 rebounds and Sharp 14 points and 12 rebounds, played with emotion all tournament were the center of the come back. But like Friday, SC lacked the firepower to keep up in overtime and was outscored in the period 10-0
Sharp said he was happy with his teammates effort and though his team is sitting at .500, likes the progress SC is making. “Everyone was playing hard the whole tournament. You can’t ask for anything more. A few mental mistakes here and there just kind of blew it for us.”
SC went out to a 16-13 lead in the first quarter, but St. Francis came back to take a 37-32 lead at halftime and extended it to 56-46 in the third period. SC then outscored St. Francis 18-8 in the fourth to tie the game. Others scoring: Lynch 7, Konopelski 11, Pino 6, Vaughan 4.

Dec. 11. Dads Club All Tournament team included Jesse LoBue and Chris Sharp. Most inspirational – Sean Lynch.

Dec. 16. SC recorded 12 blocked shots, led by five from Jake Pino, in a 59-51 victory over Seaside at the Palma tournament. Chris Sharp had four blocked shots and led in scoring with 21. Jesse LoBue scored 14 points and had three blocks. SC is now 5-4. Other scorers: Sanders 0, Lynch 8, Jacobsen 0, Konopelski 4, Pino 8, Geise 2, Vaughan 2,

Dec. 17. Sharp Hurt: Cardinals Trounced by 39 Points. Chris Sharp went down after taking a blow to the head in the opening minutes and the Cards couldn’t recover, losing to Alisal 75-36 in the semifinals of the Palma Tournament. Sharp was struck after making his only shot attempt of the game going to the basket and received 12 stitches to a wound on his head. Jesse LoBue was the only Card to score in double figures. The Cards are now 5-5. Other scorers: Sanders 2, Lynch 4, Pino 1, Shield-Estrada 2, Vaughan 4 Nordgaard 2, Sharp 2, Carlsen 3. Those who played without scoring: Jacobsen, Cronan, Smith Boaz, Geise and Hyman.

Dec. 19 Soquel Shocks Cards 59-51 for third place in the Palma tournament. Soquel outscored SC 15-6 in the second quarter to take an eight point lead at half time. SC cut the lead to three points late in the fourth quarter. Coach Burks thinks the teams brutal early season schedule may be catching up to his team. “I think we are tired. We played tough teams and I think we have hit a wall.” Burks said. Jesse LoBue scored 15 points and Sean Lynch and Kevin Konopelski each scored 11. Chris Sharp, who just had 12 stitches from a blow to his head the previous night got into foul trouble and didn’t play much. LoBue made the All Tournament team. Other scoring: Pino 7, Vaughan 4,

Dec. 30. Chris Sharp and Jesse Lobue scored 16 points each in a 45-28 win over Homestead at the St, Francis tourney. Sharp had nine rebound as SC pulled in the third quarter outscoring Homestead 15-4. LoBue had seven rebounds and Kevin Konopelski had four points and three steals. ”The bench played real good coming into the game,” said coach Charles Burks. Other scorers: Sanders 2, Lynch 2, Vaughan 0, Geise 0, Hyman 0, Carlsen 0, Pino 5.

Dec. 31. Kevin Konopelski and Jesse Lobue each scored 14 points, but SC 6-8, fell to San Diego’s University High 90-70 in the consolation bracket of the St. Francis tournament in Mt. View. Sharp had 13 points and Hyman had 10.

Jan. 4 . San Jose Mercury. Coach Intent To Make Own Mark. The comparisons between this SC team and last season’s state Division III champion, between legendary coach Pete Newell and his successor, Charles Burks will not go away. For Burks, the timing could not be worse. He coached the Cardinal junior varsity team for 17 years, but replaces a coach who earned 590 victories in 32 seasons and established himself as one of the finest teachers in the game in area high school basketball history. :I’ve been part of the program so long. I know the tradition of the school. I want to keep that tradition alive,” Burks said. Burks has two players who were starters last year, Jesse LoBue and Chris Sharp, who played significant minutes. The team has played a tough non league schedule an is 6-8, but still is looking for a repeat as league champions.

Jan.4. Santa Cruz defeated Soquel 47-38 in the league opener. SC broke out to a 27-15 lead at halftime. Soquel came back out scoring SC 16-8 in the third period, but SC won the fourth quarter 12-7. LoBue was the star for SC, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Chris Sharp scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds. “It’s great to get that first win. We had a couple of losses down the stretch in preseason, so its good to get your confidence going.” said Coach Burks. Scoring: LoBue 21, Sharp 13, Pino 9,Geise 4.

Jan. 10. In a tight game SC defeated SLV 53-50. SLV led 30-21 at halftime and 48-37 at the end of the third quarter, but SC held SLV to only two points, while scoring 16 for themselves in the fourth quarter with six players contributing points for SC. Scoring: LoBue 13, Sharp 12, Geise 9, Lynch 5, Sanders 4, Hyman 4, Pino 3, Vaughan 3.

Jan. 13. LoBue Drops 26 On Catz. Watsonville made it close the first half, but SC pulled away in the second half to win 66-43. Chris Sharp and Jesse LoBue took control of the boards in the third quarter as the Cards scored 22 points. LoBue had a game high 26 points and 16 rebounds. Sharp had 18 points and 18 rebounds, followed by Sean Lynch with ten. Other scorers: Pino 4, Vaughan 4, Sanders 2, Estrada 2.

Jan. 15. Cards Put It Together, Hammer Mariners. The state championship banner hangs on the wall of the gym yet to be unveiled. Down on the court SC is showing why they’re still the team to beat in the SCCAL. Moving the ball crisply and taking good shots on offense, rebounding strong and playing aggressive defense as well, SC put together as complete a game as the team has played this season beating Aptos 60-38.
This was the thirtieth SCCAL win in a row for SC now 11-8 overall and 5-0 in league. The Cards haven’t been beaten since a 50-34 loss to Harbor in 2003. SC has improved to 4-1 at home. “We have a lot of confidence right now,” said center Chris Sharp, who along with Jesse LoBue, led the Cards in scoring with 15 points apiece. “We feel like we can’t lose in this gym. We know we have our banner up there behind that black thing.” SC outscored Aptos 22-9 in the second quarter. Sharp also grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots. LoBue had eight rebounds.
Even with starting guard Kevin Konopelski out with a sore back, the Cards backcourt was solid. Point guard Sean Lynch played efficiently with five points, three assists and three steals. Back up guard, Bobby Sanders added ten points. “They didn’t make mistakes. Everybody is getting confident,” said coach Charles Burks. Other scorers: Jacobson 2, Cronan 1, Pino 10, Geise 0, Nordgaard 0, Hyman 2, Carlsen 0.

Jan. 18. SC got a big game from center Chris Sharp, who had 12 points and 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals, while forward Jesse LoBue scored a game high 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds in a 64-31 win over St. Francis. SC outscored St. Francis 14-2 in the first quarter and 25-4 in the third quarter. Other scorers: Sanders 2, Lynch 6, Jacobsen 3, Cronan 5, Pino 7, Shields-Estrada 2, Geise 0, Vaughan 2, Nordgaard 3, Hyman 2, Carlsen 3.

Jan. 20. LoBue’s 28 Pace Cards Past Pirates. LoBue scored 28 points, the best single game total for a SCCAL player this season. He had 11 rebounds and three steals in 53-38 win over Harbor. Chris Sharp added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Other scorers: Sanders 3, Lynch, Jacobsen, Cronan, Shields-Estrada, Geise, Nordgaard and Carlsen all 0. Vaughan 4, Hyman 2.

Jan. 28. The league leading, undefeated Cards beat Scotts Valley 66-30. Chris Sharp led all scorers with 18 points and ten rebounds. Jesse LoBue had 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. SC played good defense hold Scott Valley to 19 points in the first three quarters. The Cards next meet the contending SLV Cougars. “They want it bad, It’s a home game for them and they probably feel they should have won the last game,” said Coach Burks. Other scoring: Sanders 5, Lynch 3, Jacobsen 7, Konopelski 2, Cronan 2, Pino 3, Geise 3, Vaughan 0, Nordgaard 1, Hyman 3, Carlsen 3.

Jan. 31. Cards Keep It Rolling. SC 57, SLV 41. Santa Cruz Turns Up The Intensity Turns Away SLV. The ball bounced off SC’s rim and hovered over the hoop. A leaping Jesse LoBue, his right arm as high as it could go, his long body stretched out like a spring at its Apex, gobbled up the ball, recoiled and layed it in. The basket pushed the late SC lead to an insurmountable ten points. LoBue scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but more importantly played a big part in an all out SC defensive effort. The league win streak is now at 36.
“Coach issued a challenge to Jesse to shut down SLV’s league leading scorer,” said center Chris Sharp, who scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. “I looked up at the score board in the first quarter and SLV’s ace had not scored. He did score eight points on layups. LoBue with his tall, lanky body constantly altered his opponents outside shots.
LoBue wasn’t the only Card turning in a strong defensive effort. Senior guard Kevin Konopelski seemed to be in the SLV passing lanes the entire game and finished with five steals. But he knocked the ball out of bounds at least four times anticipating a pass was coming to the man he was guarding. “I was feeling it, I guess. It seemed like every time I went for the ball, I got it,” said Konopelski. His defense was clearly an energetic force for SC. The senior guard was constantly diving and sliding on the floor. He pumped his fist after stealing a ball and making a lay up, clapped with the home fans when he missed a free throw, playing the whole game with a mischievous grin on his face like he was in on a joke that no one else knew. Like he enjoyed playing the part of the villain. He said he was just trying to make the most of his time on the court. Injuries limited him to three games last year and he has had injury problems this year as well. “I’m just here trying to have fun. It’s nice to get the crowd into it because you can feel it. When you get your crowd into it, it limits their crowd. Any way I can get the crowd riled up is good with me,” Konopelski said.
A talented scorer not known for his defense, LoBue said a perfect game for him would be to hold his man scoreless. He said he liked being a defensive stopper, or on of a few, at least. If I have to do it, I’ll do it. It was my job tonight,” said LoBue. Other scorers: Lynch 3, Konopelski 6, Pino 0, Geise 3, Vaughan 2.

Feb. 2. All 13 Cardinals scored as they rode a big second quarter to defeat Watsonville 60-39 to stay undefeated in league with a 11-0 record. Sean Lynch had five assists and two steals. Chris Sharp grabbed 9 rebounds. Scoring:

Feb. 11. SC lost to Harbor 48-53 in overtime. SC had a big first quarter going ahead 19-5 and held a 29-16 lead going into halftime. Harbor outscored the Cards in the second half 29 to 16 to force overtime. SC was held to three points, while Harbor scored 8 for the win. Scoring: Lynch 2, Konopelski 9, Pino 8, Smith 2, Vaughan 2, Carlson 3, LoBue 12, Hyman 3, Sharp 7.

Feb. 19. Cards Still Kings. Point Guard Lynch Sparks SC Over SLV 64-40. Last year, Sean Lynch had the best set in the house for SC’s State Championship run, at the end of the bench. This Lynch is very much part of the action. Lynch’s steady ball handling and smart decision making on offense and defense helped number one seed SC close out the first quarter on a 17-5 run and the Cards coasted to a 64-40 win over number three seeded SLV in the championship game of the SCCAL tournament.
SC won the SCCAL title for the third consecutive year, winning at least a share of 15 of the past 19 titles. Among the 800 fans in the stands at Cabrillo College was the point guard of the Cards state championship team, the guy Lynch backed up last year, West Valley College’s Junior Russell.
SC with a 20-10 record led by 20 at halftime and by as many as 25 in the second half. Jesse LoBue, the SCCAL MVP scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Chris Sharp added 14 points and six rebounds.
Lynch’s cool, steady demeanor was the face of a Cardinal team that has been anything but calm and steady as the season wound down. Sharp fouled out of league losses to Aptos and Harbor, the second in which Sharp was ejected and lost his team captaincy as well. Sharp didn’t commit a foul in this game, while his counter part for SLV was in foul trouble all night and fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Sharp said the Cards are rounding into playoff form with at least one big difference this year. “It would be a big surprise if to everyone if we won section. Hopefully we’ll get a good seed,” said Sharp.
Other scorers: Sanders 0, Lynch 9, Jacobsen 0, Pino 12, Shields-Estrada 0, Geise 8, Vaughan 0, Nordgaard 0, Hyman 0, Carlsen 0.

Feb. 26. Cards Hold Off Cupertino. LoBue Pours In 26; Sharp Adds 21. In dismantling number four Cupertino 59-53 at St. Ignatius in San Francisco, the Cards looked like the playoff savvy team they have become, no the young rebuilding team they were supposed to be this season. Senior forward Jesse Lobue led all scorers with 26 points, coming on the heels of a 31 point effort in a first round win over Mills. Senior center Chris Sharp had 21. “It feels good. No one thought we would get this far,” said Sharp.
This far, the semifinals, is as far as SC got ten times under former coach Newell, before winning CCS, Northern Cal and State Division III championships last season. If the Cards play as well as they did for three quarters, they will earn a place in the Nor Cals again and could take first year varsity coach Charles Burks on another extended playoff run. The only thing in their way is top ranked Riordan, who beat St. Ignatius 47-37in the other quarterfinal.
Burks said he feels good about how his team, which includes eight seniors, but only a couple who regularly contributed on the state championship team is handling the playoff pressure. “It’s just another tournament, except it’s at the end of the season. Noting the players adjusted quickly to most anything Cupertino threw at them. “They have confidence in each other and in the team and different guys stepping up.” SC seemed unflappable, at least in the first three quarters. Even as shots refused to fall, calls didn’t go their way and Cupertino stretched out to a 11-4 first quarter lead, the Cards kept their cool. As they patiently waited for things to start clicking on offense, they held Cupertino in check with a tenacious defense.
The offense started coming around in the second quarter. By the third quarter, SC was rolling. Good defense led to steals and turnovers, which led to solid looks on offense. SC outscored Cupertino 18-6 in the quarter. But winning a quarterfinal wasn’t going to be that easy for the Cards. In the fourth quarter, Cupertino went on a 11-2 run, holding SC scoreless for nearly half a quarter
“Some people get a little pumped when we go up and start winning. And a few people know we can’t stop playing. We can’t stop or slow down,” said Sharp. Sharp a starter on last years team, hit seven of nine free throws. LoBue got his 26 points despite rolling his ankle midway through the fourth quarter. As senior Kevin Konopelski put it, “We know what it’s like to be here and we know what it takes to get here,” Konopleski said.
Other scorers; Konopleski 5, Lynch 5, Pino 2.

March 2. SC lost to Riordan of San Francisco in the semifinals 36-46. SC came out quickly and took a 15-10 lead in the first quarter, but Riordan outscored the Cards 13 to 4 in the second quarter for a 19-23 halftime lead. SC outscored Riordan in the third quarter 11-10, but were still down 30-38. Scoring: Sanders 2, Lynch 2, Pino 4, Geise 6, LoBue 16, Sharp 6.

In team scoring, SC was second with 1,514 points, for an average of 54.1. On defense, SC was sixth giving up 1,399 points for a 50.0 average per game.

The team won the regular season championship and defeated SLV in the championship game of the SCCAL tournament. In the CCS playoffs, they defeated Mills and Cupertino, before losing to Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco in the Division III semifinals .

SCCAL ALL LEAGUE

selected by the league coaches: PLAYER OF THE YEAR was Jesse LoBue, who was second in league scoring with 423 points for an average of 15.7 per game and a high game of 28. COACH OF THE YEAR was Charles Burks. First team ALL LEAGUE was Chris Sharp, who was third in league scoring with 405 points, average of 14.5 and a high of 22. Third team selection Sean Lynch. Honorable mentions were seniors Jake Pino and Kevin Konopelski. All the players are seniors.

Yearbook. This years young, motivated and competitive group played a rough preseason to prepare for the hardships of the league season. The girls were a little shaky at the beginning of the season, but once league started, the girls started to get used to one another and recognized their individual roles on the court. On a team of just ten players, Coach Pat Jones and assistants Monique Jones and Danny Paz used this season to build for years to come. It’s not only the boys team, who give SC instant name recognition, when it comes to basketball. Girls basketball is not only as competitive, but also just as exciting to watch. Fully committed each player gave her all to the varsity program, giving up jobs, hobbies and other extracurricular activities. The team beat Seaside 73-39 in the first round of the CCS playoffs, but lost to Burlingame 65-69 in the quarterfinals in a game SC led part of the time.

Nov. 30. SC made seven three-points in a 74-55 win over East Side Prep in the Sacred Heart tournament quarterfinal game. Eriana Nieblum and Stephanie Dickey each made two threes on their way to eight points apiece. Tara Kelley had a team high 14 points. Lindsay Walls had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Other scorers: Ankele 10, Conroy 7, Takahashi 5, Tashima 5, Shull 5.

Dec. 2. SC reached the finals of the Sacred Heart tournament with a 62-39 win over the host team. Junior forward Stephanie Dickey led SC with 15 points, including eight in the last quarter. SC went on a 25-9 run in the second quarter, sparked by Alexis Tashima’s ten points in the period. Lindsay Walls added 10 points and 14 rebounds. “When we played well, we played really well and were able to put points on the board,” said Coach Pat Jones.

Dec. 4. Walls Stars As SC Girls Win Title. SC won the Sacred Heart championship defeating Menlo-Atherton 62-51. Walls was the MVP of the tournament scoring 12 points and pulling down 17 rebounds. Stephanie Dickey scored 7 points was named All Tournament. Alexis Tashima and Eriana Neiblum each had 12 points with Tashima collected eight rebounds. “Its nice to start off with a tournament championship.
SC came out strong taking a 16-5 first quarter lead, but Menlo-Atherton outscored SC 26-11 in the second quarter to go ahead 31-27 at halftime. SC turned it around in the third quarter outscoring Menlo-Atherton 23-10 to go back ahead 50-41. I think we’ve been waiting to get into a game and chomping at the bit a a little, so we’re just real happy to be playing.” coach Jones. Other scorers: Takahashi 3, Kelly 7, Ankele 4, Shull 2, Conroy 3

Dec. 16. Stephanie Dickey put SC up by one in overtime, then scored on a layup off a defensive steal to cement SC’s 61-58 victory over Oakland. “They’re a real aggressive defensive team, real physical underneath. They did a good job of hammering the boards in the first half,” said coach Jones. Lindsay Walls collected four fouls in the first half, but hung on to finish the game and score 14 points and grab 14 rebounds. Tara Kelly led SC, now 8-0 with 16 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter and OT. “Tara Kelly really picked up the slack when Walls was out. She did a really good job in the fourth quarter,” coach Jones. Other scorers: Ankele4, Neiblum 4, Conroy 6, Takahashi 4, Shull 0.

Dec. 22. SC is off to a 9-0 start with a 67-58 win over St. Francis of Mt. View 67-58. SC received balanced scoring as they have all season and got a career high 17 points from Cole Conroy. “I’m pleased with how we’re playing. We’re competing and playing smart, solid basketball. We’ve played two really good games against Oakland and St. Francis. I’m pleased with how we’ve been challenged and responded,” said coach Jones. Center Lindsay Walls had 22 points and ten rebounds. Tara Kelly added 12 points and Stephanie Dickey had ten. SC has used nine different starting lineups and has had eight different players score in double digits so far.
“They all get along real well. The lineup is pretty fluid. If your playing well, we reward you. No one is getting punished for playing poorly, but someone is getting rewarded for playing well. Everyone is good with this,” coach Jones.

Dec. 30. Santa Cruz Girls Win Sweet 16. Steamrolling Into League. Hot Cardinals Light It Up In Sweet 16 Title Game. Drain 15 Three Pointers En Route To Rout Of Burlingame. Within ten seconds of opening the game, Stephanie Dickey had launched and drained a three pointer. In the championship game a pair of CCS powers took the floor and the Cards immediately took control. Dickey wound up with six three pointers and Cole Conroy had seven three pointers. SC beat Burlingame with a 14-1 record 79-63. SC is still undefeated at 13-0.
The game wasn’t close. SC played a nearly perfect first half, outscoring Burlingame 34-7 in the second quarter to build a 52-18 lead. While Burlingame made some runs in the second half, the game had been decided.
Conroy, who missed most of last season with a broken leg, finished with 25 points, 17 during the first half that left the crowd buzzing and Coach Pat Jones with a “What can I say after that,” grin outside the locker room. Jones in his ninth year coaching SC, said he’s maybe seen one half as well played and that was in 2000 when the team went to NorCals. The Cards looked like they could repeat the trip this year. “That first half was more than any coach could ask for. What made it was the team’s unselfishness and ability to move the ball. They have a lot of faith in each other and they are really good at making the extra pass/” Center Lindsay Walls, after talking to a recruiter from Fordham University, they’ll have to get in line behind Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth, said the perimeter shooting makes her job easier. “It’s incredible,” said Wall, who finished with 11 points and ten rebounds, eight blocked shot and tournament MVP honors.
SC beat Burlingame in last years CCS Division III quarterfinals, coming from behind for a 57-45 win. Senior forward Tara Kelley made key contributions with 17 points, 13 rebounds, whose penetration created impossible match ups for Burlingame in the first half. Conroy the games top scorer, received praise from her coach for her defense against Burlingame’s top scorer, keep her six points under her average.
Other scorers; Takasshi 2,DeBellotte 0, Tashima 0, Ankele 0, Neiblum 6. SC is now 13-0.

Jan. 4. Cards Win Thriller. Walls 32 Points Pave The Way For 70-67 OT Win. A packed house, even spare Bleachers were set on the Soquel stage were full. Soquel battled back from an 18 second half deficit to send the game into overtime. SC used nearly flawless free throw shooting to prevail and hand the Knights their first SCCAL loss in exactly three years. “It does feel pretty good,” said coach Jones. SC was the team to last dole out a loss to Soquel in the 2002 league opener. Soquel won the rest of its games and its first league title. (former Cardinal athlete John Wilson, who coached the SC girls, transferred from SC to Soquel to turn the program around)
“I was telling them how emotional a game this was for me and how important it is,” said senior Lindsay Walls, who started as a freshman on the 2002 team. “It’s just a really emotional game for both sides.” Walls didn’t let her emotions get the best of her. By taking a deep breath and focusing before every free throw, the 6-3 senior made 12 of 13, including 6 of 6 in overtime on her way to a career high 32 points and ten rebounds. She wasn’t the only Card who came ready to play.
Using fast paced play, balanced scoring and solid defense, SC jumped out to an 18-7 lead. At halftime the Cards were up 26-15 and after a three point play and two shots in the paint by Walls, SC had stretched it to 33-15. With 1:48 remaining Soquel had its first lead of the game 51-50. The teams then traded points and Soquel scored on a layup with two seconds left to send the game into overtime.
The result could make for and interesting league season. SC looks like it has a good chance at winning its first regular season league title since Soquel stopped the Cards seven year streak during the 2002 season. Jones said that’s his goal, but even with an undefeated team that’s taken down some of the best teams in CCS and now one of the best in the SCCAL, he’s not going to get too optimistic yet. “We’ve got a target on our backs, because no one has beaten Soquel for so long and everyone’s got nothing to lose,” Jones said. “But we’re looking at it like we’re 1-0. It’s all about winning a league championship.”
Scoring: Kelly 14 and 13 rebounds, Ankele 11, Dickey 8, Conroy 8, Walls 32. Others who played but didn’t score: Neiblum, Shull, Takahashi.

Jan. 13. Tall Order. Opponents Find Stopping Lindsay Walls Is A Tall Order. It took a summer of pounding from football pads, battles with big, burly girls and a trip across the country for Lindsay Walls to realize how tall she is. And she isn’t letting anyone in the SCCAL forget it. The 6-3 senior center is one of the best players in the SCCAL and a big reason SC is 16-0. Her most dominate performance was when she scored 32 points in the Cards 70-67 overtime victory over Soquel, which was the Knights first league loss since 2002. In the game she had ten rebounds and went 12 for 13 from the line and out of that she was 6 for 6 in overtime.
She has started since freshman year, but this is the first year she has dominated. Previously she was known more for her defense…Walls is averaging 16.8 points a game this year, double her average last year. “She could be our most improved player this year, because of the work she put in over the summer and she was one of our better players last year,” said coach Pat Jones. Walls spent the summer playing on the San Jose Jammers with her friend since fourth grade Soquel’s Lauren Passafuime the leagues leading scorer. They played together every day. Walls played in tournaments in Washington DC, Chicago and New York against girls bigger than her. “Playing with the Jammers made me more aggressive. I realized how much taller I am. Before I made a contribution on the defensive end, but didn’t want the ball much.,” Walls said. Coach Jones and her teammates were surprised to see Walls demanding the ball, starting with the first practice. When she gets the ball at the post, the defense has to collapse on her, leaving the outside shooters open. Walls is also a able passer. Ivy league schools are interested for her academics as well as her basketball. She has thought about going to UCLA and going out for rowing team. “I’ve never done it before, but I thought, why not. My size is really sought after,” said Walls.

Jan. 15. Slow Start, Big Finish For Santa Cruz Girls. Trailing 11-0 to Aptos and unable to hit an outside shot, it looked like the teams perfect season was in jeopardy. But thanks to a re-commitment to get ball into the post and a spark from a recent returned player, SC fended off the Mariners 46-35. SC is 18-0 overall and 5-0 in league. SC scored ten unanswered points after Aptos’ run to start the game. Poor long range shooting and an inability to get the ball to center Lindsay Walls, who had no points at halftime allowed Aptos to stay close until the third quarter. SC went 2 for 22 from three point range.
“We weren’t doing a good job of being patient, which didn’t allow us to get into rhythm offensively,” said coach Pat Jones. Forward Alexis Tashima, out for three weeks with the flu took the ball to the basket for buckets twice in a row to close the first quarter and used her driving ability for another big hoop late in the third. Jones said, “It was good to get her back. Walls got going in the second half and scored eight points.
Other scorers: Kelly 6, Ankele4, Neiblum 8, Dickey 10, Conroy 2. Takahashi 0, /tashima 8, Shull 0

Jan. 31. Santa Cruz scored the first 13 points of the game and rolled over SLV 55-19. SC was ahead 40-7 at the end of the third quarter. Top scorer was Eriana Neiblulm with 13 points and three 3- pointers. Other scorers: Kelly 10, Walls 11, Ankele 0, Dickey 3, Conroy 8, Takahashi 3, Tashima 0, Shull 4.

Feb. 26. Heartbreak Loss Closes Santa Cruz Girls’ Season. Senior Walls Has 20 Points and 20 Rebound In Loss. Back and forth it went, Burlingame equalizing every SC run and SC responding to every Burlingame push. SC was seed fourth and Burlingame fifth.. It all came down to who had the ball last. It was Burlingame. Burlingame with a 28-4 record moves on to the semifinals with a 69-64 win.
Tara Kelly had 16 points and seven rebounds. There was not a dry eye in the dressing room, as the players reflected on a season in which began 20-0 and what could have been. “It was a good season. We did really well. But it wasn’t a great way to end it,” said Erian Neiblum.
The Cards went down fighting. Playing in their home gym, Burlingame led by five in the first quarter. But SC kept responding and pushed their own lead to six in the second quarter. SC grabbed control of the game briefly with a 8-0 run in the third quarter that Walls keyed with six straight points. With Burlingame in a zone defense, the Cards fed the ball to their 6-3 center each trip down the court. Walls’ jumper from near the free throw line gave SC a 10 point lead. With the Burlingame defense collapsing on Walls, Corey Ankele hit a three pointer which gave SC its biggest lead of the night, by 11 points with just under five minutes left in the third. With the home crowd getting louder with each made basket, Burlingame closed the quarter on a 15-4 run.
While the teams traded baskets and leads for much of the fourth quarter, Burlingame started collapsing its zone defense in on Walls to keep the ball away from her. Screaming for the ball, her face flushed with emotion, Walls didn’t touch the ball in the quarter until there was 1:26 left. “I was frustrated. The defense they were playing made it hard for my teammates to get it in to me. And I don’t think we were playing with the same intensity. I think that led to our downfall,” Walls said. As soon as Walls did touch the ball she drew fouls that fouled out two opponents. After Walls free throws, Kelly’s driving layup cut Burlingame’s lead to 65-64 with 44 seconds left, but it was the final SC score.
Afterward, Walls reflected on one of the best seasons in SC girls history. “It’s unfortunate. We had the best record the school has ever seen. It’s a shame we can’t show the rest of the county and state what our team has to offer. It’s a shame we had to go out this way.” Walls. At the Seaside Sweet 16 tournament finals on December 29, SC beat Burlingame 79-63, when SC hit 15 three point shots.
The Burlingame coach said, “They’re a great team. But we knew the game was at home and when they don’t hit the threes, we can play with them. It was “huge” that we played at home. That was the big difference.
Coach Pat Jones said, “ I’m very proud of the season. We had great seniors, great leadership and I’m proud of our accomplishments. It hurts right now, but soon I think they’ll be able to look back and be real proud. Other scorers: Ankele 3, Dickey 9, Conroy 8 Neiblum 8, Shull 0, Takahashi 0.

WRESTLING

Yearbook. A year makes quite a difference. Last year all there was to say about the team was Drew Frampton was the first SC wrestler in 15 years to make the state meet. The team wrestled hard, but was too small in number and went 0-6 in league. This year there was a full squad of adrenaline junkies. The record was 3-3. Four senior captains led the team Aaron Park at 152 pounds, Jeff Rossini at 130 and John Richter at 160. The JV team captain was Tim Clark at 152 pounds. For the first time in 12 years the team brought home trophies from tournaments. Led by the above captains, the team won the pool B championship at the Falcon Team Tournament, seventh out of twenty-four teams at the Artichoke Invitational, and second at the Oakland Classic, were Aaron Park and John Richter took first places and Gary Villarreal placed second. Park, Rossini and Richter, the captains, advanced to the second day of the CCS tournament. SC beat SLV and Soquel in league. Gary Villarreal took second in league.

Dec. 4. Josiah Frampton took fourth place at 135 pounds going 2-2 at the Peninsula Invitational of 34 teams. “A lot of guys wrestled top-seeded guys and did well. Some guys were winning until the last ten second or so. There were some near upsets,” Coach John Corona.

Jan. 15. At the 36 team West Valley College Classic, the Cards took tenth place with 86 points. Sophomore 135 pound Josiah Frampton went 3-1 to take second place. Seniors Aaron Park at 152 and John Richter at 160 both went 4-1 to take third places.

BOYS VARSITY SOCCER

Practice games: North Monterey County 8-2, Los Gatos 2-2, Gunn 1-2, Valley Christian 3-2, Mitty 1-1. Three games scores were not reported. The teams: Woodside, James Logan and Yerba Buena. (Which means the practice record is not complete, but SC won two of the games and lost one, which will make the practice record 4-2-2) Practice record: 2-1-2.
League scores: SLV 3-2, 5-1; Soquel 1-1, 2-0; Scotts Valley 3-0, 1-2; Harbor 2-3, 2-4; Watsonville 2-3, 1-1; Aptos 1-2, 4-0. League record 5-5-2.
CCS Division III: Palo Alto 3-0, Pioneer 1-4. Overall record 10-8-5.

Yearbook. Even though the team lost nine players to graduation, the team was still able to make the CCS playoffs again under the guidance of long time coach Semih Sabankaya. The team played smartly, showing tough opponents they meant business. The big game was a 1-1 tie with perennial champion Watsonville. Four of the five losses were by only one goal.

Dec. 16. Cards Tie, Fall In Shootout. Freshman keeper Kevin Callanan made eight saves in regulation as SC tied Mitty 1-1 in the Homestead Christmas Cup quarterfinal at Depot Park. But SC came one shot shy staying alive in the tournament after losing 7-6 in a penalty kick shootout to decide which team would be eliminated Mitty scored first, but Raul Guerrero knotted the game off a pass from Christian Salagado ten minutes in the second half. The game will officially be a tie on both teams overall record. SC is now 5-2-3.

Dec. 17. Soquel scored on a free kick in the twelfth minute and Tony Redrovan answered with a goal in the sixty-third minute to tie the score. Goal keeper Kevin Callahan had two saves. SC is now 5-2-4 overall and 1-1-1 in league.

Dec. 28. Jason Kaye struck first for SC, scoring on and assist from Raf Rangell in the twenty-eighth minute, for a 1-0 half time lead. Scotts Valley came back and scored in the fifty-second and sixty-second minutes for a 2-1 win. SC is now 8-4-4 overall and 4-3-1 in league.

Jan. 4. The San Jose Mercury has Santa Cruz at 4-2-3 in thirteenth place

Jan. 31. Aptos held off SC winning 2-1. Jason Kaye scored on a header in the twenty-sixth minute. SC is now 8-5-4 overall and 4-4-1 in league at fourth place.

Feb. 2. Cardinals Get Tie With Watsonville. There will be no closer to the SCCAL’s most heated soccer rivalry. Fourth place SC stunned first place Watsonville with a 1-1 tie. It was the teams last league meeting before Watsonville moves to the MBL next year in a CCS realignment.
“I’m not happy with a tie, but with our team effort, said forward Tony Redrovan, who scored SC’s goal in the sixty-third minute after beating the Watsonville defense and chipping the ball over the goalkeepers head. It appeared the Cards lead might hold up, but Watsonville tied the game in the first minute of stoppage time with a poke from ten yards out after collecting a deflected shot. Watsonville won the first meeting 3-2.
SC controlled the first half using a five midfielder formation. Steve Young missed a penalty kick in the sixtieth minute. It appeared the Wildcats had a goal in the fifty-third minute after a Watsonville cross hit off of a SC defender just inside the right post. But freshman keeper Kevin Callanan dove back to gab the ball and the referee ruled it didn’t cross the plane. Callanan finished with nine saves.

Feb. 9. After giving up the first goal of the game, SC responded with seven of their own to cruise past Aptos 7-1. Playing goalie for the first time this season, Jerry Leon had five saves. Adolfo Gonzales contributed a goal and an assist and Anthony Ponce had two assists. SC is now 9-6-5 overall and 5-5-2 in league. Scoring in order of the scorer and then the person who assisted:: Tony Redrozan assisted by Raf Rangell. Jason Kaye-Adolfo Gonzales. Raul Guerrero-Anthony Ponce. Steve Young on penalty kick. Jose Lima-Ponce. Redovan- Zachary Fang.

Feb. 19. SC Boys Shown The Exit. SC and Pioneer have had some epic battles in the CCS soccer playoffs in the past. It looked like there might be another for the list, when Tony Redrovan tied the score with a eye-opening goal. He took a dink pass from Anthony Ponce on a corner kick which went through the goalies legs and sent it into the open net during the first half. But Pioneer produced three unanswered goals in the second half for a 4-1 win in the CCS quarterfinals.
“I feel bad. It was my dream to win CCS. But we couldn’t make it,” said Raul Guerrero, a senior forward for the seventh seeded Cards. It was the second seeded Pioneers largest margin of victory in six postseason meetings against the seventh seed Cards with a 10-7-5 record.
The teams shared the Division II tile in 2002 after playing to a 1-1 tie. SC won in 2004 3-1. The team’s closest game came in the 1997 semifinals. After four sudden-death overtimes, it was decided on the twenty-second kick, when the Pioneer goalie booted the game winning strike for a 3-2 decision.
SC applied plenty of pressure offensively with midfielders Redrovan and Jason Kaye feeding passes to forwards Ponce and Guerrero. But the Cards were flagged off sides seven times in the first half and one in the second half. One of these time, Guerrero produced an apparent goal. Coach Sabankay voiced his displeasure with the officials and received a warning. “Refs are refs,” said Saabankaya, who led the Cards to CCS Division II titles for three straight years beginning in 2002. SC ended with a 10-8-5 record.

JV BOYS SOCCER

Yearbook. Sophomore Edgar Gonzales strove to boost his team’s morale before each game. Whatever situation they were in, they always found a way to get through it as a team and developed great friendships along the way.

Yearbook. Varsity girls soccer at SC is a sport of discipline, honor and exceptional sportsmanship. To work as a team the girls do rigorous training and exercises at all times striving for perfection. The skills and techniques the girls learned from coaches Jay Garcia and Mark Hogenhaut, add to those they learned in U-8 soccer, carried them through this season and on to the CCS playoffs.

Dec. 10. Lynsie Slakey took possession off the kickoff and netted the go-ahead goal in the first minute of SC’s 4-0 win over MVC. Renata Soumitte, Chelsea Muir and Kelsey Johnson scored the other three goals. Keiko Kurita picked up two of the assists. Katie Merrill was in goal for the shutout.

Dec. 16. Keiko Kurita scored two goals to lead SC to a 3-0 win over Soquel. Kurita scored the first goal unassisted from 30 yards out in the fifth minute, then netted a second on a free kick ten minutes into the second half. Renata Soumitte added a goal five minutes later off an assist from Kelsey Johnson. Katie Merrill was called upon to make three saves in the Card shut out. SC is 4-0 overall and 2-0 in league.

Jan. 4. The San Jose Mercury has Santa Cruz at 4-0-2 in thirteenth place

Jan. 18. Cards’ Frosh Duo Leads Way Past Aptos. Talented freshmen Kelsey Johnson and Keiko Kurita each score in a SC 3-0 win over Aptos. At the 15 minute mark Johnson, a forward scored on a pass from Miranda Emanuel. Kurita, a center fielder scored her fifth goal of the season on a shot from 35 feet out to up the score to 2-0 at halftime. The ball was placed in the upper left corner of the net. “It felt good coming off my foot,” said Kurita, a 14 year old who plays for the U16 SC Breakers. “Its not the first time she scored a goal like that. She definitely has an impact from outside the box,” said coach Gomez. Emanuel scored her fourth goal in the second half assisted by Colette Virostko. SC which starts six underclassmen was without sophomore Jane Shook and senior Jasmine Norouzi. Goalie Danielle Eriksen has a shut out.

Jan. 20. With just ten minutes left and a two goal lead, SLV looked poised to upset SC. But Keiko Kurito scored on a penalty kick and assisted Kelsey Johnson with two minutes left to tie the game 2-2. SC is now 6-2-3 overall and 4-2-1 in league behind second place Harbor and in third place.

Jan. 25. Johnson Pours In Four Goals For SC. Freshman forward Kelsey Johnson scored four straight goals in the first half to help beat Soquel 6-1 and improve the SC overall record to 9-3-3 and league 6-2-1. “It doesn’t matter who scores. She has that mindset. But she’s been the one. She’s been a very consistent finisher,” coach Gomez. Miranda Emanuel had a goal and two assists. Coco Virostko had two assists. Laura Schwartz has a goal. Danielle Eriksen was the goalie for 75 minutes and Halina Cathrein for five.

Jan. 27. Falcons Battle Cardinals To 0-0 tie. SC is laden with underclassmen starters. The teams played 80 minutes of intense soccer for a scoreless tie, but the game was anything but boring, even in less than stellar field conditions after recent rains. The Cards looked at their contest as a step in the right direction.
“Our team goal is much bigger than one game. We’re a big picture team. We want to bring home the section crown. This was great for our young group of kids, the experience factor against a quality veteran team,” said coach Gomez. Scotts Valley is leading the league with a 7-0-2 record followed by SC 6-2-1. SC is 9-3-3 overall.

Feb. 19. Cards Set Up Showdown. Kelsey Johnson takes scoring goals in stride, been there, done that. The freshman scored her team leading sixteenth goal and it held up as the game winner in a 1-0 victory of Mercy of Burlingame in the CCS Division II quarterfinals. It was her first playoff goal. “I guess it means more. I’m just real excited for our next game,” said Johnson.
The third seeded Cards, with a 12-4-5 record, will take on the second seeded SCCAL champion Scotts Valley 13-4-4 in the semifinals. The league rivals played to a scoreless draw in their last meeting. SC lost when they played their first game in league 1-0.
The match up gives the SCCAL one of the best girls soccer leagues in CCS, a guaranteed Division III finalist, a feat it has accomplished every year since 2000. SC won the first three CCS titles under then coach Jose Sierra in 2000.
SC made a goal of applying pressure early and striking first. They succeeded on both counts in their dominant first half. Johnson scored three minutes into the game from the right corner of the penalty box, sending the ball under the arm of the diving goalie.
Keeper Katie Merrill didn’t touch the ball in the first half and finished with one save. But Mercy threatened more than once in the second half. From the Mercy coach, “They were too fast. We couldn’t pass the ball. So we tried more of the old style and went with long balls to relieve some of the pressure from the back.” It was a lesson to the Cards to play a full 80 minutes, agreed coaches Gomez and Hogenhout. “We were fortunate to get that goal early. Our level should’ve maintained.
Midfielder Coco Virostko nearly scored on a header on one of the dead ball situations, which were usually handled by Laura Schwartz.

Yearbook. SCHS has a rich baseball history, from Joe Brovia in the 1940’s to Glenallen Hill, who after signing with Toronto, played for the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and helped the New York Yankees win a world series and is presently a coach for the Colorado Rockies. These days, Coach Bob Kittle continues the tradition with trips to CCS in six of the past nine years. Although the majority of the team this year consists of sophomores and juniors, their ultimate goal is again bringing a CCS banner back to Fehliman Gym, which means working overtime, long road trips and other sacrifices.

TRACK BOYS

Yearbook. Greg Brock, who has coached SC before moving to Cabrillo College is back coaching the team, which will help the team this year. The boys beat Watsonville this year, the first time in two years. Among the highlights of the meet were sophomore Michael Landry winning the two mile race by a 100 meter gap.

BOYS TENNIS

Yearbook. Led by Will Power and Jeff Brown, SC dominated this season. They were fourth in the league last year with a 6-6 record, but as of late March, the team was undefeated in league. In a match up of the leagues two top teams, SC beat Scotts Valley 5-2 in a fierce battle. The team is a mix of veterans and rookies, but the bond is strong between them. Coach Will Power said the team is super into it.

ALL SCCAL

LACROSSE

Yearbook. Senior Matt Greenburg as a freshman was on the first Lacrosse team at SC and he along with seven others are still playing for SC. This year he has moved to the goalie position. Lacrosse was North America’s first sport. One has to have stamina, strength, endurance and high pain tolerance and be able to play in any type of weather conditions.

SURFING

Sentinel, Dec. 24. Friendly Rivalries Abound At High School Level.
With three surf matches under their wetsuits and two more to go, surf team athletes at SC and Soquel high schools are again duking it out for first and second place in the six team interscholastic Surfing Federation league, now in its fifth year in Santa Cruz. The other schools in the league are SLV, Scotts Valley, Harbor and Aptos. SC and Soquel are both 3-0, Harbor 2-1, Aptos 1-2, SLV and SV 0-3. However in the short board division, Aptos has beaten both Soquel and SC.
That SC and Soquel have traded off first and second place the previous four years it seems to be a function of where the schools are located. It’s the kids from the Pleasure Point area and those from the Lane area. SC surfers to watch are Nat Young, Kyle Thiermann and Miles Clanton. Team head coach Bob Sanders and assistant Rym Partridge.
All the kids in the league get to know one another and become pretty good friends and surf around together.
To spark up a little more fun rivalry there is a plan to add a little fun rivalry is to introduce a “Golden Bootie” as a perpetual trophy to the winning team.
For high-ranking competitor Sierra Partridge, 18 a senior at SC will be competing against her twin sister Hailey and her good friends Gigi Goldeen and Sahara Ray-Bach.
The Santa Cruz area counts about 330 school surf league athletes in both middle school and high school. In the state it is 1,250.
The next competition is on Jan. 28 at Capitola Beach/

CHEERLEADING

Yearbook. The cheerleading squad had a very successful season. Head coach Dale Summer and assistant Ashly Dietz led the team through countless summer practices and volunteer work at Roaring Camp Railroad. Senior captain Caitlin McCormack and sophomore co-captain Gaby Cruz guided their squad through the NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) summer camp at the UC Davis campus where they won awards for most improved, the spirit stick, the stunt smart award and many evaluation ribbons. At the end of football season the two coaches resigned from their positions. New Coach Melissa Deane took over the team for the basketball season. The team went on to win the second place spirit award at the Dad’s Club Tournament.

FORMER PLAYERS

Murphy Stewart, the 6-8 former SC post man is in his final year at Bethany University in Scotts Valley. Stewart is averaging 17.8 points and 9.7 rebounds through the first six games. At the Cal State Stanislaus tournament against Life Pacific College, Stewart scored 32 points, added seven rebounds, five assists and six blocks, while shooting 13 of 16 from the floor.